Boeing 717-200 incident near Atlanta, Georgia, March 5, 2004
On March 5, 2004 at about 8:39 pm local time, a Boeing 717-200, registered N978AT, was involved in an incident near Atlanta, Georgia (The William B Hartsfield Atlan). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 118 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the tantalum capacitor and the permanent magnet generator input transformer which resulted in total electrical system failure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 2004 · about 8:39 pm local time
- Place
- Atlanta, Georgia · The William B Hartsfield Atlan
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 118 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 717-200 · all 717-200s on the register
- Registration
- N978AT · registry record · serial 55037
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the captain, during the climb out from runway 26L at approximately 200 feet, the number 6 display unit on the pilot's instrument panel went blank and the engine alert display left generator off alert displayed. The first officer requested radar vectors from the Atlanta Tower. After contacting the tower the airplane had a complete electrical power failure, and communications with the Atlanta Tower was lost. Emergency electrical power was restored shortly after the electrical failure. The flight attendants advised the captain that there was smoke in the aft part of the cabin area. The captain and first officer "smelled an electrical burning smell", and declared an emergency. The captain returned to the airport and made an emergency landing, and evacuated the airplane on runway 9R. Examination of the Power Conversion Distribution Unit revealed that the tantalum capacitor and the permanent magnet generator input transformer failed. The failed transformer was the apparent source of the smoke in the cabin. No other anomalies were reported by the captain.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 67,000 lb
- Seats: 117
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce BR 715 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Airtran Airways INC
The flight
- Departed from: ATL Atlanta GA at 7:05 pm
- Destination: MSP Minneapolis MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 9R, 9,001 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 8:39 pm from KATL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 113 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.